There has been proposed an image forming apparatus of a type that includes: an electrostatic latent image bearing body having an electrostatic latent image formed thereon; a toner cartridge containing toner; a developing member for supplying toner from the toner cartridge to the electrostatic latent image bearing body, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the electrostatic latent image bearing body to a recording medium; and a developing device which incorporates at least the developing member and in which the toner cartridge is removably provided.
In the image forming apparatus of this type, after an electrostatic latent image is formed on the electrostatic latent image bearing body, the developing member supplies the toner from the toner cartridge onto the electrostatic latent image bearing body, thereby developing the latent image. Then, the transfer member transfers the toner image from the electrostatic latent image bearing body to a recording medium. As a result, an image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image is formed on the recording medium.
Since the toner cartridge can be removed from the developing device that incorporates the developing member, the toner cartridge can be replaced by a new one when toner is consumed up, thereby continuing image forming.